Tag: world’s

Entrepreneur Elon Musk has won a $50 million (roughly Rs. 324 crores) bet by beating a 100-day deadline for building a giant battery to help South Australia avoid energy blackouts, officials said. State Premier Jay Weatherill said testing of the massive lithium ion battery would begin within days, ahead of the December 1 deadline Musk set for himself when he signed off on the project earlier this year. Musk had pledged to build the battery in the South Australian outback for free if it was not completed within the 100 days. He…

Hong Kong is set to retain its status as the city most visited by international travellers this year in spite of strained relations with mainland China. In a report published on Tuesday, market research firm Euromonitor International said it estimates 25.7 million arrivals in Hong Kong this year, down 3.2% on 2016. The Thai capital Bangkok retains second place, but its popularity has grown faster than Hong Kong’s, with arrivals up 9.5% at 21.3 million. London is Europe’s top city, in third place with 19.8 million arrivals, but the report…

Dubai has always been known for its world-class innovations and for being a preferred destination among Indians. It’s set to get one more jewel in its crown. To be located 4km offshore from Dubai’s mainland, the USD 680 million Floating Venice will recreate the city’s labyrinthine alleyways, canals and main square, Piazza San Marco, in the form of a luxury resort that will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 guests. Gondolas will be imported straight from Venice to ferry guests to their cabins. (Kleindienst Group) While the laundry list of specs…

It took Swiss work crews just 10 weeks to complete the bridge which now forms part of the Europaweg, known as one of the most scenic two-day hikes in the Alps for offering panoramic views of the Matterhorn — the most iconic Swiss mountain peak — along with Weisshorn and the Bernese Alps. The bridge is situated on the Europaweg, that connects the villages of Zermatt and Graechen. (AP) The trail runs between 1,600 m and 2,200 m above sea level. The bridge replaces an older bridge that was closed…

WEDDINGS in Australia cost upwards of $65,482, so it’s no surprise many couples are casting their eyes overseas for cheaper alternatives. In places like Fiji, Bali and Phuket, you can have an extravagant ceremony on a picturesque beach for less than half the price. The Cook Islands and Vanuatu are also rising favourites, as well as European destinations like Paris, Italy, and the Greek island of Santorini. Let’s face it: you’re better off shelling out a few grand for airfares and taking off with your close family and friends than…

IT HAS a full-size tennis court, a resident sommelier and rooms going for $15 million — and now the world’s biggest privately-owned cruise ship is headed to Australia’s humble shores. Just shy of 200m long, the mammoth residential yacht, called The World, is in the midst of a non-stop journey around the globe. The ship is home to about 130 families who generally only spend between three and six months on board. Since launching in 2002, The World has taken its residents to more than 900 ports across 140 different…

The 16th-century Schola Grande Tedesca is worth a visit for its extraordinary interior but, as the arts writer discovers, also for what it reveals about the history of the Jewish community in Europe The interior of the Schola Grande Tedesca This is one of the oddest spaces I’ve ever been in. The geometry is unique: it is a trapezoid tapering toward two windows, softened above by the elliptical women’s gallery which Silvia, our guide, tells us was added in a later restoration. I’m on a tour of some of the…

A team from the Australian National University (ANU) has created the world’s thinnest lens, one two-thousandth the thickness of a human hair (Credit: Stuart Hay, ANU). View gallery (4 images) Scientists have created the world’s thinnest lens, which at just 6.3 nm (nanometers) thick is one two-thousandth the thickness of a human hair. The team from the Australian National University (ANU) says the lens was made using molybdenum disulphide crystal, and could be key in the miniaturization of cameras and the development of flexible computer displays. In recent years we’ve…

The NUT says sixth-form colleges have suffered ‘deeper’ budget cuts than other parts of the education system Getty Images Sixth-form teachers in England will walk out for one day on Tuesday over “inadequate funding” in sixth-form colleges. The High Court refused to grant the Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan, an injunction to stop it going ahead – ruling instead that it was lawful. The Government argued the strike was “based on political grounds and not a trade dispute about the terms and conditions of its members”. Thousands of teachers…

Gangasagar Fair … devotees worshipping the sun just after their bath. Picture: Abhijit Banerjee/2016 Sony World Photography Awards FROM Hindus bathing in Bengal to Tibetan monks wrapped in rich red capes sprinkled with snow flakes and kids riding reindeers in Mongolia, this year’s entries in the Sony World Photo awards provide the ultimate snapshot of the world’s diverse cultures and traditions. There is a strong sense of empathy in the entries, many of which are centred around the major news stories of 2015 including the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine…